Antonio Cromartie: Either me or Revis is the best corner in NFL

Posted by Josh Alper on June 20, 2014, 10:12 AM EDT

AP

Earlier this offseason, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson engaged in a back and forth with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman over Sherman’s oft-stated belief that he is the best cornerback in the NFL.

Peterson’s teammate Antonio Cromartie also has some thoughts on the matter and, as you might expect, he doesn’t believe Sherman deserves the No. 1 spot in the pecking order. He’s not voting for Peterson either, though.

During an appearance on NFL Network, Cromartie was shown results of a fan poll that showed Sherman as the top choice at cornerback over Peterson, Joe Haden and Cromartie’s former teammate Darrelle Revis. Cromartie expressed surprise that his name wasn’t on the list and said that it was “fine and dandy” to go off a couple of seasons, but that his complete body of work was better than his younger peers.

“To me, right now, it’s either me or [Revis]. You got three guys that’s up and coming, but right now it’s either me or this guy — when we’re healthy,” Cromartie said. “And when we’re healthy we know what we can do on the football field. We’ve both shown it in a Rex Ryan defense with zero help. We tell that safety to roll up to the other side. … I want these guys to be on an island by themselves and play zero coverage. They [haven’t] done it yet. They [haven’t] done nothing that me and Rev have done in Rex Ryan’s defense.”

The reference to playing with zero help was directed at Sherman, with Cromartie noting that the Seahawk plays with two All-Pro safeties and that he’s likely to hear a response from Sherman about his opinion. If he does, Sherman might point out that Cromartie has had some very strong seasons over the course of his career but that he hasn’t been nearly as consistent (due to injuries or other reasons) as the other players whose names came up for discussion.

However things shake out on lists of top corners, the Cardinals will be quite happy if Cromartie turns in the kind of work we saw from him in 2012 as it will give them a pair of top corners to throw at opposing offenses.

Is that why the Jets replaced you with a journeyman (Patterson) who they believe will be an upgrade and who they’re paying the same amount it would have taken for them to get you re-signed?

You had a good year 2-3 years ago, but that’s in the past. Revis was the best 2-3 years ago. That’s in the past. Right now it’s Sherman, Peterson, Verner, Haden and maybe Talib.

drsummeroff says:Jun 20, 2014 10:18 AM

Alright. I’m the best Corner in the league……What’s with these so so players always blowing their own horns? The best corner in the league is Sherman. Hands down. And I’m a Rams fan so I have to hate the Seahags. But facts are facts. Sherman’s the best. Revis needs to show he’s back from the injury. Antonio Cromartie isn’t even the best Corner in his family, let alone the league.

Cro, is right. Sherman plays in a Cover2 Defense. Also Sherman doesn’t Play Cover Zero on the opposing Team best Receiver like Revis does or Talib. Don’t get me wrong Sherman is a great Cover2 Corner!! At the same time he is not a true Man on Man Cover Zero without any Safety help. I also disagree with Cro. I think Peterson is a great Cover Zero Corner! And Peterson does travel! I told my Son when Peterson was a Rookie. I said to him. This kid is going to be good!! Revis good !! Patrick Peterson is the real deal!!

I would take Charles Tillman over any of the fools listed above. Ranting and raving about who is the best isn’t necessary. It should be reflected by stats and game play. Also giving back to the community is something that shouldn’t be over looked.

Bragging and arguing about who is the best is arrogant, obnoxious and unsportsmanlike. Don’t know about anyone else, but that is not how I want my kids to be influenced…

Love all the people who say Sherman gets a ton of help. Didn’t see anyone but Sherman tip that ball away from Crabtree in amazing one on one coverage to send his team to the Superbowl. Defining play of a shut down blanket coverage corner that you can’t even argue. Was all right there. Your arguments all null and void in one epic play. Keep hating though. We saw how much your ears mattered last year.

I think all of this crap of a player not being good because he plays on a good team is odd, I have never heard that excuse used before. Jerry Rice was not a HOF WR because he had too really good QB’s throwing to him and a genius as a head coach!! You people need to get over yourselves and stop acting like a bunch of elementary school children!!

So many experts on the matter….its crazy. You guys all have a job in broadcasting waiting for you.

What the problem with having help from a safety? That’s what they are there for. It is a team game fellas, really who gives a damn who’s better? I can tell you one thing for a fact, Sherman plays on the best defense out of all of them and he is a big part of why they are the best.

If you have any further questions about who’s best, check out Sherm’s new ring he got yesterday as further proof.

The past is irrelevant. The best in the league is, who is best right now for 2015.

It’s all about ego. They’re all alpha males jockeying for mating rights. Who really cares?

Football is a team sport and no player excels on an island. Right now Seattle had the best secondary in the league, last season. What happens in 2015 remains to be seen.

The thing about claiming you’re the best is that all the other alpha males are going to go after you. If Sherman has the same success in 2015 he had in 2014, maybe he is. I can guarantee you that receivers and qbs are going to go after him and try to prove him wrong.

You all can talk about which side of the field the player lines up on ad nauseum….truth is, the BEST players support the players around them and the team gets better. My point is, it does not matter how you get to excellence, what is of paramount importance is that you get there! See the Ring at Seahawks.com….

The truth is: there are very few true Cover Corners in the League. In my opinion there are 3 that come to mind as Cover Corners that play in the League. Revis, Talib, Peterson, oh and when he wants to play DRC isn’t bad ether. That’s when he’s focused in and is on his game that day! Other times DRC plays like an average Corner? It drives me nuts because he has all the tools to be an elite Corner! I really don’t have a horse in this race? But that’s what my eyes and Stats tell me!

Red Bird fan here. I am not mad at the statements A Cromarts made. But he is the number 2 CB on the Red Bird squad. Pat Pete is the best DB in the NFL. I would say Sherm is the best LCB in the NFL. Julio Jones said Pat Pete was the best. Pat Pete has done it with minimal if any safety help. While Pat Pete was a starter Sherm was on special teams and that is a fact. The way Larry Fitz abused Revis last year (youtube Larry Fitzgerald vs Revis and you will see what I am talking about) showed me that Revis Island may have some visitors I could be wrong. I would love to see A Cromarts back that talk up and hopefully he will.

wait wait wait… didn’t this guy say sherman was the best corner in the league a while back? he either said that or sherman’s better than revis

joshnyc1 says:Jun 20, 2014 11:15 AM

I like cromartie. really i do, but he’s out of his bird if he thinks he’s in that level. Guy relies solely on athleticism. He has zero technique, which is why he gets burned half the time and constantly misses tackle. He’s more than serviceable, but the best? He needs to get checked out.

Who cares if your the best they don’t have that much of an overall impact. They will just abuse the other 2 corners. I’m a bucs fan and we have had two of the top 5 corners on our team and haven’t had a winning season since Raheem Morris first year and talib was hurt. So who cares and now we have Vernon another top 5 corner. We also have top defensive tackle and best linebacker. 4-12 last year with three top guys at there position. And it will stay that way untill we get a top qb

Why is everybody bashing him, if you’re in the NFL you’re suppose to believe your the best hell you’re suppose to believe you’re the best at everything you do

cards4lyf says:Jun 20, 2014 11:42 AM

First of all Seattle plays a cover 3. Second of all Sherman has 2 All -Pro’s behind him. I’m not saying he’s not a good corner cause he’s a very good corner IN THAT SCHEME… A COVER 3. But if I had 2 All-Pros behind me, I would be throwing me name in this conversation.

And let’s get this straight. The last play of the NFC Championship game was a simple go route. ANYBODY CAN GUARD THAT! MY 4 YO CAN GUARD THAT. He knocked down a VERY POORLY THROWN BALL on a go route. That’s it.

6 of 1, half a dozen of the other. I’m a hawks fan and I see plenty of Sherm footage, and his skill is undeniable. I think there’s a lot to be said that he played wr til half way thru college, and he is in the conversation of best cb.

BUT, most of the players getting mention have a good reason to be in the conversation.

“The best” conversations usually hinge on opinion. Opinion isn’t fact. Stats are not scientific. These guys are all studs in their profession.

I’m a Cromartie fan from back in his Chargers day. But he’s not a top 5 CB, probably not even a top 10.

Patrick Peterson is a stud, but he gets burned for too many TDs when he’s playing man. The knock on Sherman is he doesn’t play man, but he also gets burned a lot less (not never, but very infrequently) and generally shuts down his side of the field with little safety help. Thomas patrols center field and Chancellor is often closer to the line or on a TE.

Some combination of Sherman, Haden, and Peterson are the top 3 in my book. All super young guys too.

So Sherman has the most picks (20) over the past 3 seasons, most pass break ups, and, is thrown at the least of any other corner, but, he is only good because of his two safeties? SMH…..not a person on here would turn down Sherman on their team, that is a fact. Don’t be a hater just because the guy runs his mouth. Facts are facts, he is one of if not the best CB in the NFL…..Plus that ring sure is nice.
Go Hawks!!!

Please, please, please people open your eyes and actually watch a football game. Sherman isn’t even a top 10 CB. Only plays one side, gets beat by average WRs ( Jarius Wright and T.Y. Hilton) and has 2 great safeties bailing him out every play. Plus he holds more than any CB in the league. And gets away with it !!!!! And big deal if he broke up that play to Crabtree. It was a poorly thrown ball cause Kaepernick sucks. The elite QBs like Peyton, Brady, Brees, or Rodgers, even Ben would’ve thrown it so Crabtree would’ve caught it or it goes out of bounds incomplete.

Not to mention the plethora of pass rushers Seattle has in Avril, Bennett, Irvin, and Clemons before he went to Jags. Before Browner got suspended, he was the hot topic of conversation and the flavor of the month. You barely heard anything about Sherman. Seattle better hope they can lock up Chancellor too cause if not, Sherman and Maxwell and any other guy they put out there to cover might very well be getting exposed.

MostlyRight says:Jun 20, 2014 2:45 PM

He’s not the best CB on the Cardinals now or even the best in the Cromartie family to play on the Cardinals in their careers. That said, if he’s healthy he was a perfect free agent to work across from Peterson and those two plus Honey Badger and 1st round pick Buchannon may well make the best secondary in the NFL…and being the best unit is more important than any one player’s stats.

Sherm routinely plays without help because they know they can roll Earl’s coverage to the other side to help out Maxwell or if Sherm’s on the weak side of the formation. He has 2 All Pro safeties bailing him out? When was the last time Kam Chancellor was in a deep zone, please tell me that. And people consistently downplay Sherm’s ball skills too, but it’s not a big deal, you can hate me, him, and the whole city of Seattle if you want to, it will not change anything, have a great day

Of course Cro was joking. Anyone who watches football knows Sherman is one scary dude but even at that was owned by Larry Fitzgerald as was Revis last season. These guys are all elite and have their own skillsets. While Peterson is probably the most versatile and athletic, size still matters, and even though I’m a Cards fan, am a football fan first and the Sherminantor rules by brute force!

it is dumb to argue for Sherman…. he is a limited role player that would only be effective in a specific system with a lot of help… if there was ever a pure self marketing scheme that seems to have worked this is it…. it is kind of offensive to put him with top shut down type CBs

Revis is over-rated and was at his best in the Jets defense. Revis is like Deion Sanders, great cover skills, but poor tackler. When it’s all said and done Revis will NOT be regarded as a better CB than say a Champ Bailey.

saints12013 says:
Jun 20, 2014 2:31 PM
Please, please, please people open your eyes and actually watch a football game. Sherman isn’t even a top 10 CB. Only plays one side, gets beat by average WRs ( Jarius Wright and T.Y. Hilton) and has 2 great safeties bailing him out every play. Plus he holds more than any CB in the league. And gets away with it !!!!! And big deal if he broke up that play to Crabtree. It was a poorly thrown ball cause Kaepernick sucks. The elite QBs like Peyton, Brady, Brees, or Rodgers, even Ben would’ve thrown it so Crabtree would’ve caught it or it goes out of bounds incomplete.

6 5
saints12013 says:
Jun 20, 2014 2:42 PM
Not to mention the plethora of pass rushers Seattle has in Avril, Bennett, Irvin, and Clemons before he went to Jags. Before Browner got suspended, he was the hot topic of conversation and the flavor of the month. You barely heard anything about Sherman. Seattle better hope they can lock up Chancellor too cause if not, Sherman and Maxwell and any other guy they put out there to cover might very well be getting exposed.

Lets ask ourselves a question…. Why would qb’s NOT throw in a guys direction? Especially in a passing league.

Most INT’s by the least targeted CB and he’s not top 10?

The rotation is PUFF PUFF PASS…. Don’t mess it up!

deacon85 says:Jun 20, 2014 5:03 PM

Technically, Cromartie is right in saying that either he or Revis is the best CB, but that’s only because Revis is actually the best. From a linguistic standpoint, as long as one of them is the best, the statement is true. It’s like saying “Either the Spurs or the Bucks are the best team in the NBA.” It’s true, because one of them is the best, even if the other is awful. Which explains why Cromartie’s statement is more accurate than he realizes.

Sherman is good, and I agree he gets help from a great supporting case and what about that front four?!

I think Peterson is overrated, Revis isn’t the player he used to be, Haden is second on my list, Cromartie isn’t in the top 5…Vernon??

That leaves Talib. He shut down just about everyone besides Josh Gordon, that was his only bad day in recent memory and it was a bad one. But Gordon lit up EVERYONE…Talib completely shut down Graham, Demarius Thomas, and just about everyone else.

Talib
Haden
Sherman
Peterson
Revis

beachsidejames says:Jun 20, 2014 6:32 PM

I don’t think Antonio can even keep a straight face when said that. Must have been talking to his girlfiend.

Oh God Seattle fans, shut up already !!! Why do y’all think you are the greatest team to ever set foot on a football field ? With your manufactured crowd noise. Seahawks have been relevant for 3 or 4 seasons in their entire existence. Hip-Hop hooray !!! you won a Super Bowl congratulations. You guys should win a SB. Half the team is on steroids. Act like you’ve had success before. Can we do that Seattle ??? Enjoy your moment now, cause teams don’t repeat in the NFL anymore. In fact the SB winning team rarely even wins a playoff game the next season. Pipe down Seattle, your just a good football team, nothing more……

I love how all these people that see their Seahawk football in highlights are experts on how Sherman plays. Cover 2? Really? Whoever is the best is totally subjective & can be argued for infinity but there is one fact in all these opinionated arguments. Sherman plays in the best secondary on the best defense in the NFL. His receiver was the least targeted over the entire season yet he led the NFL in interceptions & as one commenter already mentioned; where was the safety help in the championship game when Ol one read kap threw that duck to Crabtree? There wasn’t a safety in the same zip code. That was Malcolm Smith that intercepted the defended (tipped) pass. A linebacker to the uninformed. Also MVP of the superbowl. I don’t know who’s the best but i damn sure know which team had the best secondary. Everything else if fluff in slow sports month. Go USA vs Portugal.

johnny1979 says:Jun 21, 2014 1:39 PM

I wouldn’t watch tape of your 2013 performance Cro…

chawk12thman says:Jun 21, 2014 7:07 PM

This argument will last for quite sometime as the Seahawks look to have a solid Defensive Unit locked down for a few years……That being said, I would rather this conversation continue under the current terms than have the Seahawks leave Sherman without help and lose……We don’t need #1 individuals’, just the #1 team……

Go Seahawks!

fmc651 says:Jun 23, 2014 4:28 PM

Revis has been overrated for years. NY wonder so they blew him up. Peterson is much better.